Photo: Screenshot / National Geographic
The blonde of the Shetland Islands
During their expedition in the Antarctic, tourists in the Southern Shetland Islands observe a penguin that stands out clearly from its peers: a blonde penguin is discovered!
Following the recent capture of the Internet by a tailcoat wearer with fear of heights, another discovery follows: A blonde penguin! He looks like the black sheep of the group - only that he is anything but black. This is exactly what makes the penguin so special: The tailcoat of the special penguin is brighter than that of his friends. Blond, almost golden, his plumage stands out among the others.
The tourists are on a journey through the Antarctic, which is headed by National Geographic. The team of experts is thus immediately on the spot and explains: The genetic defect that has the blond penguin is called leucism. Unlike albinos, the main pigment melanin is formed, but can only get incomplete or not at all into the feathers. The disturbed transport ensures that the plumage either remains completely white, depending on the severity, or shimmers from pale gray to pastel colors.
The spotted penguin probably has a special form of leucism: its plumage looks blond . In technical terms, this color is called isabellfarben, so that one speaks of a gene defect in which only one melanin form is disturbed, Isabellinismus. Apart from the coloring, however, a blond penguin does not differ in health from the black tailcoat wearer. Unlike albinos, vision is not compromised in this genetic defect.
Although a blond penguin was not first discovered, its distribution is extremely rare. Thus, the slightly different penguin for the tourists will certainly remain a highlight of their Antarctic trip!
